The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for folding leaflets, and more particularly relates to methods and apparatus for folding outserts in a booklet form.
Folded leaflets are used to provide information regarding a wide variety of products. In particular, pharmaceutical products are often packaged with folded leaflets called outserts, which provide printed information, instructions, and warnings to users of the product. Outserts are typically made by folding a single printed sheet into a small packet for insertion into the pharmaceutical packaging during the packaging process. The sheet is typically folded in two perpendicular directions to obtain a compact outsert. Larger printed sheets, however, are cumbersome to use and are often visually unattractive.
Leaflets provided in booklet form are known which may present a more visually appearing outsert. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,530 to DeLise discloses a folded booklet and method for making the same in which two or more different printed sheets are bound together to form a booklet. Binding the different printed sheets to form the booklet of DeLise, however, requires complex machinery capable of handling different printed sheets from multiple sheet sources.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of forming a booklet from a single sheet of paper is provided in which the booklet has a bound side, an unbound side parallel to the bound side, and two unbound sides perpendicular to the bound side. The method comprises the steps of first applying an adhesive to the single sheet of paper along a linear path so that the adhesive makes contact with a plurality of rectangular sheet portions of the single sheet of paper. Next the single sheet of paper is folded by making a plurality of folds in the sheet of paper parallel to a first direction to form a plurality of sheet panels, each of the sheet panels corresponding to one of the rectangular sheet portions. Each of the sheet panels is connected to at least one adjacent sheet panel and is separated from at least one adjacent sheet panel by one of the folds parallel to the first direction. Each of the sheet panels is further adhered to at least another of the sheet panels by the adhesive so that all of the sheet panels are adhered together to form an intermediate product having a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, the first and second sides being parallel to each other and parallel to the first direction. A plurality of cuts are made in the intermediate product so that the first side and the second side of the intermediate product are cut off and so that the sheet panels are no longer interconnected at the folds made in the first direction. The intermediate product is folded by making a final fold in the intermediate product along a line coincident with the linear path along which the adhesive was applied to form the booklet. The booklet so formed has a bound side coincident with the final fold, an unbound side spaced from the bound side and parallel to the final fold, and two unbound sides spaced from each other and perpendicular to the final fold.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of forming a closed booklet from a single sheet of paper is provided in which the booklet has a bound side, an unbound side parallel to the bound side, and two unbound sides perpendicular to the bound side. The method comprises the steps of applying an adhesive to the single sheet of paper along a linear path so that the adhesive makes contact with a plurality of rectangular sheet portions of the single sheet of paper. The single sheet of paper is folded by making a plurality of folds in the sheet of paper parallel to a first direction to form a plurality of sheet panels, each of the sheet panels corresponding to one of the rectangular sheet portions and is connected to at least one adjacent sheet panel. Each of the sheet panels is further separated from at least one adjacent sheet panel by one of the folds parallel to the first direction and is adhered to at least another of the sheet panels by the adhesive so that all of the sheet panels are adhered together to form an intermediate product having a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, the first and second sides being parallel to each other and parallel to the first direction. A plurality of cuts are made in the intermediate product so that the first side and the second side of the intermediate product are cut off and so that the sheet panels are no longer interconnected at the folds made in the first direction. The intermediate product is folded by making a final fold in the intermediate product along a line coincident with the linear path along which the adhesive was applied to form the booklet, the booklet so formed having a bound side coincident with the final fold, an unbound side spaced from the bound side and parallel to the final fold, and two unbound sides spaced from each other and perpendicular to the final fold. The booklet is folded by making a first closing fold in the booklet parallel to the linear path along which the adhesive was applied, the first closing fold being made so that the unbound side of the booklet parallel to the final fold is disposed between the bound side of the booklet and the first closing fold to form a partially closed booklet. The partially closed booklet so formed has a first portion between the first closing fold and the bound side of the booklet and a second portion between the first closing fold and the unbound side of the booklet. The partially closed booklet is folded by making a second closing fold in the first portion of the partially closed booklet parallel to the linear path along which the adhesive was applied, the second closing fold being made so that the first portion covers the unbound side of the booklet.
In accordance with still further aspects of the present invention, apparatus for folding a single sheet of paper into a booklet is provided in which the booklet has a bound side, an unbound side parallel to the bound side, and two unbound sides perpendicular to the bound side. The apparatus comprises an adhesive applicator that deposits adhesive along a linear path so that the adhesive makes contact with a plurality of rectangular sheet portions of the single sheet of paper. A first folding unit has a plurality of cylindrical folding roller pairs positioned to grip and pull buckled portions of the sheet and form a plurality of folds in the sheet of paper parallel to a first direction. The plurality of folds defines a plurality of sheet panels, each of the sheet panels corresponding to one of the rectangular sheet portions. The folding rollers of each pair are spaced to adhere the sheet panels together with the adhesive to form an intermediate product having a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, the first and second sides being parallel to each other and parallel to the first direction. A slitter has blades positioned to cut off the first and second sides of the intermediate product so that the sheet panels are no longer interconnected at the folds made in the first direction. A second folding unit has a pair of cylindrical folding rollers positioned to grip the intermediate product along a line coincident with the linear path along which the adhesive was applied to form a final fold and form the booklet. The booklet has a bound side coincident with the final fold, an unbound side spaced from the bound side and parallel to the final fold, and two unbound sides spaced from each other and perpendicular to the final fold.
In accordance with still further aspects of the present invention, apparatus for folding a single sheet of paper into a booklet is provided, in which the booklet has a bound side, an unbound side parallel to the bound side, and two unbound sides perpendicular to the bound side, the apparatus comprising. An adhesive applicator deposits adhesive along a linear path so that the adhesive makes contact with a plurality of rectangular sheet portions of the single sheet of paper. A first folding unit has a plurality of cylindrical folding roller pairs positioned to grip and pull buckled portions of the sheet to form a plurality of folds in the sheet of paper parallel to a first direction to form a plurality of sheet panels, each of the sheet panels corresponding to one of the rectangular sheet portions. The folding rollers of each pair are spaced to adhere the sheet panels together with the adhesive to form an intermediate product having a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, the first and second sides being parallel to each other and parallel to the first direction. A slitter has blades positioned to cut off the first and second sides of the intermediate product so that the sheet panels are no longer interconnected at the folds made in the first direction. A second folding unit has a pair of cylindrical folding rollers positioned to grip the intermediate product along a line coincident with the linear path along which the adhesive was applied to form a final fold and form the booklet, the booklet having a bound side coincident with the final fold, an unbound side spaced from the bound side and parallel to the final fold, and two unbound sides spaced from each other and perpendicular to the final fold. A first pair of closing rollers is positioned to form a first closing fold in the booklet parallel to the linear path along which the adhesive was applied, the first closing fold being made so that the unbound side of the booklet parallel to the final fold is disposed between the bound side of the booklet and the first closing fold to form a partially closed booklet. The partially closed booklet has a first portion between the first closing fold and the bound side of the booklet, and a second portion between the first closing fold and the unbound side of the booklet parallel to the final fold. A second pair of closing rollers is positioned to form a second closing fold in the booklet parallel to the linear path along which the adhesive was applied, the second closing fold being made in the first portion of the partially closed booklet so that the first portion of the partially closed booklet covers the unbound side of the booklet parallel to the final fold.
Other features and advantages are inherent in the apparatus claimed and disclosed or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.